When we go for a run or we decide to do some kind of exercise, we always start by warming up some of the most important muscles in our body, for the activity we are about to perform. Singing is exactly the same thing as exercising, therefore an effective warming up routine is required for a better performance.
It is essential for a singer to prepare his body and mind to the task of singing. The vocal chords, used for singing, are muscles and we should try to preserve them and avoid injuries. In the act of warming up, not only should we warm up the vocal chords, but also the muscles in other areas of our body that are involved in the act of singing such as shoulders, neck, jaw, tongue and lips. The muscles in these areas should feel free and loose. In the act of breathing for singing, other muscles are used such as the pelvis, belly and abdominal muscles.
In order to “wake up” your body and make you feel energized, a good idea is to run on the spot for about one minute. This exercise will make the blood flow through your body and as the airflow increases when you breathe, the oral cavity will naturally open.
Once you have run on the spot or have done some exercise with a similar effect, it is important to warm-up your shoulders by rolling them back and forth. So that you loosen your shoulder muscles you can move your shoulders up and drop them for a few times. Shaking other parts of your body such as your arms and legs will also help you feel more relaxed.
After you have performed these exercises, it is important to slow down and gain control of the circle of your breath. This will help you relaxing the pelvis and abdominal muscles. While you take control of your breathing, you can start warming up your jaw. A good way to do this is by massaging the muscles in your face. In order to loosen and freeing your jaw there are a few exercises you can do (please watch the video). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2V3ha2WD0o
A good exercise to warm up your lips is lip rolls (Please watch the following video about lip rolls). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lR2S1G-g0c
Finally, we can warm-up the vocal chords. A good way to start doing this is by humming triads and gradually going higher in pitch. Performing some descending or ascending scales is also a good exercise, or taking a pattern of notes from a song we are going to sing or practice.
Once we have done our warm up we are ready to start singing. Warming up the voice before singing is vital to protect the singer’s voice, preserve it and avoid severe injuries. Vocal warm-ups also help obtaining a better vocal timbre.
It is essential for a singer to prepare his body and mind to the task of singing. The vocal chords, used for singing, are muscles and we should try to preserve them and avoid injuries. In the act of warming up, not only should we warm up the vocal chords, but also the muscles in other areas of our body that are involved in the act of singing such as shoulders, neck, jaw, tongue and lips. The muscles in these areas should feel free and loose. In the act of breathing for singing, other muscles are used such as the pelvis, belly and abdominal muscles.
In order to “wake up” your body and make you feel energized, a good idea is to run on the spot for about one minute. This exercise will make the blood flow through your body and as the airflow increases when you breathe, the oral cavity will naturally open.
Once you have run on the spot or have done some exercise with a similar effect, it is important to warm-up your shoulders by rolling them back and forth. So that you loosen your shoulder muscles you can move your shoulders up and drop them for a few times. Shaking other parts of your body such as your arms and legs will also help you feel more relaxed.
After you have performed these exercises, it is important to slow down and gain control of the circle of your breath. This will help you relaxing the pelvis and abdominal muscles. While you take control of your breathing, you can start warming up your jaw. A good way to do this is by massaging the muscles in your face. In order to loosen and freeing your jaw there are a few exercises you can do (please watch the video). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2V3ha2WD0o
A good exercise to warm up your lips is lip rolls (Please watch the following video about lip rolls). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lR2S1G-g0c
Finally, we can warm-up the vocal chords. A good way to start doing this is by humming triads and gradually going higher in pitch. Performing some descending or ascending scales is also a good exercise, or taking a pattern of notes from a song we are going to sing or practice.
Once we have done our warm up we are ready to start singing. Warming up the voice before singing is vital to protect the singer’s voice, preserve it and avoid severe injuries. Vocal warm-ups also help obtaining a better vocal timbre.
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